SCRIPTURE:
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalms 32:1-7
OBSERVATION:
“3, 2, 1. Ready or not, here I come!”
When I was young, I loved playing the game of hide-and-seek. While I was a good seeker, I was an excellent hider. People would take so long finding me because I would hide behind the right things and the right places. And because I hid in the best places, I would often emerge victorious. When it comes to your life, what are you hiding behind? As David shares with us today, just like the game of hide and seek, hiding behind the wrong places will result in loss, while hiding behind the Right Place will lead to victory.
Life on this side of heaven is filled with many threats to our freedom and well-being, the most debilitating being our sins. Sin––our mistakes, shortcomings, and our failure to seek God and His goodness––has ramifications. When we sin, these consequences cause us to hide––and rightfully so. These consequences threaten our well-being, our mental health, our relationships, our finances, our anointing, and quite frankly, we don’t have the power to overcome these consequences ourselves.
Sin forces us into a game of hide and seek for our lives. The devil is the seeker, trying to expose us, attempting to wreak havoc on our lives and bring us loss. We are the hiders, trying to avoid defeat. So what do we end up doing? We hide behind the wrong things! We hide behind our sin, our masks, and our lies, being led by the false belief that these frail things have the power to save us. However, as David says, there is only one Hiding Place that will result in victory––God. “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).
When it comes to the threats you face in life, hiding anywhere else but God will lead to your defeat; hiding behind God will lead to your victory. Why? Because it is impossible for the devil to win without your cooperation. God is greater than the enemy, and His power is unmatched.
The devil cannot defeat you when you hide behind God, but when you hide behind the wrong things, you partner with the devil himself, giving power to him to come and find you. Because ready or not, here he comes.
APPLICATION:
What are you hiding behind? Are you hiding behind your sin? A mask you wear to hide your true emotions?An empty facade you’ve built up for yourself? A false reality you’ve been trying to create to throw people off from who you really are and what your life really is? I’m sorry, but the honest truth is that if you are, then you’re on a pathway to defeat. For you will only find victory when you hide behind God.
“But I’m afraid of hiding behind God! Will He even let me? I’m afraid and ashamed of even approaching Him because of what I’ve done.” Yes, of course He’ll let you hide behind Him. For just like David says in verses 1 through 5, God forgives. When you confess your sins, approach Him in all honesty, and ask for His forgiveness, He will forgive you and welcome you into His open arms.
Today, come out of hiding, for the safest place you can be is right in the arms of God. Stop hiding behind anything but Him––it will eventually fail. But God will never fail. Bring your sins, your struggles, and your threats into His glorious light, and allow Him to be your hiding place. Because in this sin-induced game of Hide and Seek, there is only one Right Place to hide that will lead to victory: behind your Father.
PRAYER:
God,
You are my Hiding Place. Today, I confess my sins, come out of the shadows, and walk into Your glorious light. I come out of hiding to hide behind You. Thank You for Your forgiveness, Your love, and Your grace. You are my shield, my strength, my defense, and my protector. I trust in You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
